llies. They were commanded by the Duke of Lorraine, who went to
the relief of the garrison at Nancy from St. Nicholas, six miles away.

Comines, whose account is given below, was a French statesman and
historian, who, after being for a time in the service of Charles the
Bold, went over to Louis and became his personal counsellor. He was
therefore intimately versed in the history of these times.

The Duke of Lorraine and his army of Germans broke up from St. Nicholas,
and advanced toward the Duke of Burgundy, with a resolution to give him
battle. The Count of Campobasso joined them that very day, and carried
off with him about eightscore men-at-arms; and it grieved him much that
he could do his master no greater mischief. The garrison of Nancy had
intelligence of his design, which in some measure encouraged them to hold
out; besides, another person had got over the works, and assured them
of relief, otherwise they were just upon surrendering, and would have
capitulated in a little time, had it not been for the treachery of this
Count; but God had determined to finish this mystery.

The Duke of Burgundy, having intelligence of the approach of the Duke of
Lorraine's army, called a kind of council, contrary to his custom, for
generally he followed his own will. It was the opinion of most of his
officers that his best way would be to retire to Pont-a-Mousson, which
was not far off, and dispose his army in the towns about Nancy; affirming
that, as soon as the Germans had thrown a supply of men and provisions
into Nancy, they would march off again; and the Duke of Lorraine being in
great want of money, it would be a great while before he would be able to
assemble such an army again; and that their supplies of provisions could
not be so great but, before half the winter was over, they would be in
the same straits as they were now; and that in the mean time the Duke
might raise more forces and recruit himself; for I have been told by
those who ought to know best, that the Duke of Burgundy's army did not
then consist of full four thousand men, and of that number not above one
thousand two hundred were in a condition to fight. Money he did not want;
for in the castle of Luxembourg--which was not far off--there were in
ready cash four hundred fifty thousand crowns, which would have raised
men enough. But God was not so merciful to him as to permit him to take
this wise counsel or discern the vast multitude of enemies who on every